Commuters returning to work for the first full week after the festive period are enduring travel misery today amid fresh strike action.

Workers at five rail companies stage are walking out in the latest wave of strikes - a continuation of the bitter dispute over the role of guards.

Passengers complained of 'packed' trains, 'heaving' platforms and 'joke' train operators as they struggled to make it into and from work today.

Crowding became so severe on the 7.12am South Western Railway service from Basingstoke to London Waterloo that passengers pulled the emergency cord twice after commuters fainted.

Commuters ride a crowded South Western Railway train on the Portsmouth to London Waterloo line today as workers in five rail companies stage a fresh wave of strikes

With the first two trains cancelled on strike day, the 6.24am South Western Railway service into London from Godalming in Surrey was standing room only today due to RMT industrial action

Commuters board a Greater Anglia train at Shenfield in Essex on the way to work this morning

One commuter posted this picture on Twitter and said: 'Thanks Southern Rai for making my first day back to work a comfortable one as normal'

One passenger told the London Evening Standard: 'It was ridiculously overcrowded. It was certainly among the worst overcrowding I have ever seen.'

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are walking out today and on Wednesday and Friday on South Western Railway (SWR), Arriva Rail North (Northern), Merseyrail and Greater Anglia, and today on Southern.

Rail workers at five train companies are said to be 'solidly supporting' strikes, while passengers face cancellations and replacement buses because of the latest walkout.

Picket lines were mounted outside stations across the UK, while Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was urged to convene a special summit to try to break the deadlock.

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It comes as many commuters would have been hoping for a fresh start this year after suffering the consequences of endless strike action in 2017.

Southern Rail passenger John Read tweeted: 'Another short, packed train today. I guess the carriages are on strike with the guards?'

Lindsay Wade said: 'Five rail firms go on strike... they quote 'for commuters' safety'. Currently the train is so full (of) people they're falling over, crushing each other, arguing... and there is a conductor on the train... we need them for what.'

Commuters wait for trains at Clapham Junction train station in South West London today

Thousands of commuters, including those at Clapham Junction today, face a week of mayhem

Commuters try to board a train at Clapham Junction as train services are hit by strike action

Packed platforms at Clapham Junction station in South West London this morning

A member of the RMT union on the picket line hands a leaflet to a man outside London Waterloo this morning

And Chris Fisher added: 'Lovely day for a train strike by Northern Rail. It's only -4C and there's only two more days of a strike left this week.'

Meanwhile London Mayor Sadiq Khan said today: 'Thousands of people who work in London – once again – face a miserable journey to work due to yet another round of strike action on South West services.

'This Tory government and the private rail companies seem to think that the best way to deal with the long-running and serious grievances of their staff and the trade unions about passenger safety is to ignore them altogether and bury their heads in the sand.

'It is increasingly clear that they simply do not care about the serious impact their failure to resolve these issues is having on the lives of normal people who live or work across London.'

Talks were held between the union and SWR and Arriva, but they ended without any breakthrough to the long-running row over staffing, driver-only operation and guards.

Northern said it will run around 1,350 services on strike days, more than half its normal timetable, with most running between 7am and 7pm.

Commuters at Canada Water station on the London Underground faced long queues, with one saying that this was a knock-on effect from the Southern Rail strikes today

Commuters arriving at Basingstoke train station in Hampshire today were greeted by this delay-filled departures board

Commuters try to get on board a Greater Anglia train at Shenfield in Essex this morning

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union protest outside London Waterloo today

Members of the RMT union on the picket line outside Waterloo station in London this morning

SWR plans to run more than 70 per cent of its normal weekday service of 1,700 trains, although there will be rail replacement buses and arrangements to have tickets accepted on other train companies.

Greater Anglia said it planned to run a normal service with no alterations.

Merseyrail will run a reduced service, mostly between 7am and 7pm, with a break during the middle of the day and no trains on the Kirkby, Ellesmere Port or Hunts Cross lines.

Arriva Buses will accept Merseyrail tickets on all three strike days covering the Northern and Wirral lines.

Southern, which is facing its 39th RMT strike, said it planned to run a normal service on most routes, but advised passengers to check for any last-minute changes before they travel.

Long-suffering rail passengers endured more than seven million severe delays over 12 months, during the 2016-2017 period.

People arrive at Waterloo Station in London this morning on their way to work in the capital

Commuters look at departure boards as others arrive at London Waterloo train station today

People arrive at Waterloo Station in London today as services are hit by strike action

The strikes are affecting services on the regional South Western Railway. Waterloo is pictured

A notice at Waterloo warns of reduced services due to the strike action taking place today

Passengers lost at least 3.6 million hours in a year plagued by the usual issues such as signalling problems as well a wave of strikes and engineering works.

Consumer group Which? analysed data from rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road between April 1 2016 and March 31 this year.

Angie Doll, passenger services director for Southern Railway, said: 'The RMT's action is especially regrettable as the leadership announced this strike just hours after we had invited them for talks in a bid to end the dispute.

'The RMT leadership opposes changes that we made a year ago to improve passenger services. No-one has lost their job. We have made four offers to the RMT to resolve their dispute but they have rejected every one of them without even putting them to their members for a vote.'

Andy Heath, Merseyrail managing director, said: 'These latest strikes are part of a much bigger picture of UK-wide strikes by the RMT which, unfortunately, local passengers are falling victim to.

Furious commuters told of their anger at the train strikes on social media this morning

'I would like our passengers and business leaders to be aware that these three strike days represent a high stakes strategy being adopted by the RMT union with no consideration of the impact on the city region.

'These three days of strike action demonstrate the RMT's disregard for the impact their actions have on our passengers and damage to the economy of the city region.

'Since the last meeting with the RMT there have been eight strike days with the RMT steadfastly refusing to accept all attempts to get round the table. Both passengers and business leaders are saying to us that this is enough and now is the time for talks.'

Andy Mellors, SWR's managing director, said: 'We are sorry that our passengers will once again suffer due to this unnecessary strike action.

'Our passengers just want to get to work in the morning and back home on time in the evening to see family and friends.

'We have repeatedly guaranteed that no one will lose their job and that we will roster a second person on board every train.

Commuters and other social media users voiced their displeasure at the strikes with memes

'However, what we have been trying to talk to the RMT about is what happens if a guard is unavailable at short notice, perhaps due to illness or disruption; and how we might keep passengers moving rather than leave them stranded.'

Richard Allan, Arriva Rail North's deputy managing director, said the company was committed to investing in new and updated trains, better stations and faster journeys.

'During talks, Northern again offered to guarantee jobs and pay for conductors for the rest of our franchise to 2025 if we can reach agreement with RMT.'

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: 'RMT members remain solid and united in each of the separate disputes across the country over rail safety this morning as we continue to fight to put public safety, security and access before the profits of the train operating companies.

'Today we have written to Chris Grayling calling for summit talks under an independent chair to break the deadlock in these long-running disputes.

Southern has said the RMT's action is 'especially regrettable as the leadership announced this strike just hours after we had invited them for talks in a bid to end the dispute'

RMT general secretary Mick Cash says the disputes are 'about putting the safety of the travelling public before the profits of the private train companies'

The RMT criticised Chris Grayling, saying he and Theresa May are happy to cheer on overseas rail companies that rip off British passengers

'We expect a positive response to this important initiative and we welcome the support of both the Labour Party and the TUC for our proposal. It offers a real chance of progress.

'It makes no sense at all that we have been able to agree long-term arrangements in Wales and Scotland which secure the guard guarantee and which underpin the basic principles of safety, access and security for the travelling public.

'If that rail safety guarantee is right for Wales and Scotland then it must be right for the rest of the UK.'

A Department for Transport spokesman said: 'This is a dispute between a private company and the RMT. However, the Transport Secretary recognises the disruption caused to passengers and has met with union leaders on several occasions, including as recently as December, to help bring an end to the strikes.

'He offered guarantees of employment to members who currently fulfil the role of the second person on the train beyond the length of the franchises - instead the RMT called strikes on five train companies to cause maximum disruption to passengers.

'Nobody is losing their job as a result of driver-controlled operation trains - employees have been guaranteed jobs and salaries for several years.'